'True Blood' Season 5 a go, HBO orders 12 episodes for summer 2012

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After creator Alan Ball‘s recent announcement that he had signed on for another year as “True Blood” showrunner, HBO confirms that the hit supernatural drama will indeed return for a fifth season.

The network has ordered another 12 episodes to begin production later this year and debut in 2012, in the series’ now-traditional summer spot.

“I am thrilled that ‘True Blood’ continues to enjoy a phenomenal reception from both subscribers and critics,” said HBO president Michael Lombardo in a statement. “Alan Ball and his gifted team have devised the greatest thrill ride on TV.”

This echoes the sentiment of Ball’s Season 5 discussion at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “I don’t have any desire to leave,” he said of rumors he would be taking a diminished role on the series. “I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had in my life.”

After “True Blood” wraps up its current witches-and-amnesia arc during the Sept. 11 finale, Ball has already hinted that the next outing of the series will continue to follow the chronology of the source material, tackling storylines in the Charlaine Harris book “Dead as a Doornail.”